1980 GS550 Conversions

[Guest]

Hey guys! New member here, but long time onlooker. About a year ago I purchased this 550 with 16,000 miles for cheap. It had set for a year. Got it running but just couldn' stop there Over the past few months between work and college I have aquired a 82 gs1100e swing arm, 2004 gsxr front end with both front and back wheels and a 650 top end.
I had done some reading before buying all that stuff ensuring it would work lol.. The triple tree install was cake, and the pivot bolt for the swingarm was just as easy thanks to other posts.
Now i need some serious help on fitting the 5.5 gsxr wheel in the swingarm. Once I started, it hit me that it wasn't gonna be so easy. I appreciate any help!

[ShadowFocus603]

Motor in frame. Swing arm mounted. Wheel and caliper bracket hung on axle in swing arm without the spacers installed. Run a string or a laser down the sprockets to ensure alignment. Use appropriate size washer stacks to space wheel to maintain said alignment. Then measure each washer stack thickness and have a spacer made up accordingly. For one or the other you may be able to simply trim one of the stock spacers to fit once you know what you need.

[Big T]

That would make his rear wheel offset a long way

You need to center the wheel in the swingarm, then see if that alignment will chew into the frame. Get an offset sprocket for the front. See if the rear sprocket carrier can be shaved down to obtain chain alignment

The wheel sounds too wide for that chassis

[Buffalo Bill]

5.5 is way wider than you need for a 50hp motor, you're just in lust with looking bad, (posing).
That big tire will only slow you down, you would know that, if you were looking for real performance.

[Wraith]

The 5.5" wheel is too big for the 550, but if you want to put the 5.5" in then this is how I did it on my old gs550 (did it just because that's what we do in the UK lol). You need to space out the front sprocket by 5mm. You then need to get a gs500 or gsx1100f (UK wording) rear sprocket carrier, as these are slightly narrower an bring the chain in a bit. A 520 pitch chain and sprockets also helps by a few mm. You will not get the rear wheel centered unless you cut out some of the frame and reweld and brace in: if you don't do this then the chain will foul the frame.
If you want the handling you would be better off with a gsxr 4.5" rear wheel or a bandit 600.